4th District Congressman Jim Himes agrees with President Biden’s decision to withdraw all U.S. forces from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021. He says the mission has evolved to be too broad, too unclear, and too costly. Himes says he has confidence in the intelligence community to ensure that a potential resurgence of terrorism in Afghanistan will not threaten Americans. He notes that this war has cost the U.S. $2 trillion and nearly 2,400 American lives. Himes believes the country has achieved the initial goal to defeat those who attacked America on 9/11. But he says there is still a responsibility to protect Afghans who’ve helped military forces over the past two decades and the U.S. should prioritize clearing the backlog of translators and their families who are waiting for visas to leave Afghanistan.
